1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of providing a graphical user interface, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of providing a graphical user interface that enables a user to rapidly search a desired menu.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an apparatus for providing content, such as moving pictures, music and images, provides a user with a graphical user interface to enable the user to rapidly search desired content.
The graphical user interface is provided in the form of a menu that enables the user to select desired content. The user uses a pointing device, such as a keypad, a keyboard, and a mouse, to move a pointer on a menu screen to select desired content.
The graphical user interfaces are mainly classified into two-dimensional graphical user interfaces and three-dimensional graphical user interfaces. The two-dimensional graphical user interface is two-dimensional and static, but the three-dimensional graphical user interface is three-dimensional and dynamic. Therefore, the three-dimensional graphical user interface can visually transmit information and satisfy user's sensitivity.
In the three-dimensional graphical user interface, the arrangement of a three-dimensional block varies according to the motion of a camera view, and one surface of the three-dimensional block having important information displayed thereon is directed in the camera view, thereby preventing unnecessary information from being transmitted to the user. However, in this structure, information is displayed on the surface of the three-dimensional block, which makes it difficult to display additional information on the three-dimensional block.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-246712 discloses a graphical user interface that spreads a submenu image when the user designates one of the images that three-dimensionally rotates. However, the above-mentioned problem remains unsolved.